While other local tennis programs have various fences dividing courts, the Centralia Tigers are all fenced together at their home court in Borst Park.
Maybe something about the fierceness of nine-Tiger cage led to the outcome on Wednesday night — the team won its first home match of the season, against Shelton, after falling to Tumwater two days prior.
In what head coach Scott Snyder described as a “grinder,” first singles player Olivia Norris won the extra set to secure the W for the Tigers, despite falling in her match against Shelton’s Hannah Pratt. The final score for Pratt was 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.
Overall, the Tigers tied in match scores 3-3 with Shelton, which took all three singles matches.
“And all the singles put up good fights,” Snyder told The Chronicle.
At second singles, Shelton’s Neveah Haskins defeated Centralia’s Brook Frakes, 6-1, 6-4.
“Brook fought very hard in the second set at two singles to make it close,” Snyder said.
In third, Shelton’s Evelyn Allen beat Centralia’s Suki Bringman, 6-4, 6-0.
Centralia took all the doubles matches. In first singles, Maya Lockie and Maddy Brekel bested Shelton’s Adalyn Kapa and Karen Rivas Baires at an easy 6-1, 6-0.
Similarly, Centralia’s second doubles team, Sophia Wiley and Aydan Butler took the double bagel over Shelton’s Teagan Orme and Fiona Dowling, 6-0, 6-0.
In third doubles action, Tigers Marianna Guerrero and Ruby Caballero defeated Highclimbers Olivia Nelson and Josefina Franciso, 6-0, 6-2.
Among the performances Snyder was most proud of were the third doubles duo, who he said were communicating with one another and overall just “played very well.”
After the loss Monday, he said the entire team made improvements, especially with their serves.
Centralia heads to Stevenson for the final match before spring break on Thursday night.
